Abstract
Purpose This study is aimed at assessing pharmacists' knowledge and practice of issue related to usage of psychotropic medications in elderly people, in Gondar town Northwest, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacists working in community, health center, and hospital pharmacies in Gondar town from March 1 to May 30, 2020. A total of 73 medication retail outlets (40 pharmacies and 33 drug stores) were included in this study. Pharmacy personnel's knowledge and practice were assessed using self-administered validated questionnaires. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between different variables. P < 0.05 was used to declare the association. Result A total of 144 pharmacists were included in the study; the mean age was 30.13 (SD ±5.87), ranging from 20 to 55years. The mean knowledge score was 7.789 (SD ±2.98), and 75 (52.1%) of them had poor knowledge. The mean practice score was 2.32 ± 0.912 (mean ± SD), and 77 (53.5%) of the respondents had poor practice. All participants had not taken on-the-job training about psychotropic medication. Work experience (P < 0.029) and personal monthly income (P < 0.046) were significantly associated with pharmacists' knowledge. There was a significant association between work experience and practice level (P < 0.043). Conclusion The knowledge and practice of pharmacy personnel were low for issues related to the use of psychotropic medication in the elderly. This result indicates the need for training for pharmacists on pharmacotherapy of psychotropic medication.
Highlights
The elderly are defined by a chronological age of 65 years and older
Psychopharmacology in elderly people is quite specific, and the tendency of older people to develop side effects to psychoactive medications is often due to physiological changes associated with aging, altered pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics [12, 13]
Gondar town is under the Amahara regional state of Ethiopia, which is located at 750 Km from Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia
Summary
The elderly are defined by a chronological age of 65 years and older. This population has been and will be steadily increasing and expected to reach 22% in 2050 [1]. Because the use of psychotropic medications among elderly patients is high [8,9,10,11]. Psychopharmacology in elderly people is quite specific, and the tendency of older people to develop side effects to psychoactive medications is often due to physiological changes associated with aging, altered pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics [12, 13]. Frequent checks of used medications, for drug interactions and BioMed Research International use of medications, are considered appropriate for the elderly [12, 16]
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